Each device to be interfaced with Rx-Universe requires a connection between the device and Rx-Universe. This connection can either be serial (using an RS232 connection), or though TCP/IP. If If a device supports both, TCP/IP is preferred, as it is faster and does not require a dedicated RS232 port to be used.
Follow the links below for instruction on how to install Devices in RxUniverse
Installing A New Serial Devices Workstation
If setting up a device interface on a new workstation, you can browse to the install files on the Rx-Universe server. The install file for a device workstation is found (assuming default folders were used to install Rx-Universe) under "RxUniverse\Install\Devices\setup.exe". Browse to that folder from the workstation, and run the setup.exe program. Follow the prompts and an Rx-Universe Device session will be set up on the computer.Click this link → How to install Device Client (Thick Client).
The default workstation number is 44 for a device session. Its important to understand that each Device session . should have its own Worstation #. So If you are setting up the second, third, or more, device computer, you will need to change the workstation number (since 44 would be used by the first computer set up). Just modify the properties of the icon:
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In the example above, the workstation is 45 (the last 2 characters at the end of the target line).
Serial Connections
When using a serial connection, a serial cable is run from the equipment to a serial port on the computer that will service the request. This computer must be running an Rx-Universe Device session, and like all Rx-Universe sessions, will be set up with a particular workstation number (for example, 44). Each serial port on the workstation (whether native, on the computer, or on a multi-port serial board) is identified as a particular COM port. For example, on a multi-port serial board, the first COM port might be COM5, the next COM6, etc.
Continuing with our example of setting up an interface on workstation 44, assume the VCA (OMA) device is connected to COM6. Under "Devices", then "Device Interface Params", an entry would need to be created for workstation 44, port 6. Assuming the device is using 9600,8,N,1 as the communication parameters, the entry would be set up similar to:
Note that for a serial device, the device must be set up with the same serial communication parameters as the interface screen in Rx-Universe. If the device is set up for 19200 baud, then the interface screen must be set up the same. If the device using 8 data bits, the device interface screen must be set up the same. Any difference in the COM port settings will cause the communication to fail.
On each device interface screen, there are several tabs that allow specific settings to be set for that particular interface. Help for each option is available by clicking the button on the top of the screen, and then clicking the particular control; for example, click Help and the "Cut to polish" checkbox brings up the following:
TCP/IP Connections
When a device is connected through TCP/IP, the device uses the network cable for communication, so there is no RS232 cable or multi-port board required. Rather, there is an Rx-Universe device session running, usually on the server, which listens on port 33512 for requests coming from devices. This requires the Rx-Universe server (or whatever computer is running the TCP/IP device session) to have a static IP address. Similarly, all equipment should also be set up with a static IP address. It also requires the device server computer to have port 33512 open (if firewalls are used).
TCP/IP devices require their own device session to be running (ie you can't have serial and TCP/IP devices both on the same device session). A TCP/IP session is identified by a workstation number that begins with "T" - so, workstation T1 would be a TCP/IP device session, as would T2, etc. While it is possible to have multiple TCP/IP device sessions in a lab, each session must run on a completely different PC - it is not possible to have two TCP/IP device sessions on the same PC, because this would result in two processes both listening on the same 33512 port.
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- “Com Port Settings” area will be displayed for serial communication.
- “TCP/IP Setting” area will be displayed for TCP/IP connection. Even though you are not using an actual “COM” port, you still have to specify a number in the “Device Port” field to differentiate between each of the TCP/IP devices.
For a TCP/IP device:
- Set the “Session Type” to “Remote”.
- Enter the “Device IP”, this is the static IP address for the device and is used to link the TCP/IP device to the correct session parameters for the device.
- “Device Serial #”, this allows you to enter the serial number for the device. Currently this is for informational purposes only.
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Installing A New TCP/IP Devices Workstation
The device must point to the IP address of the computer running the Rx-Universe TCP/IP device session.
Each TCP/IP device session can service up to 40 connections (devices). You can only have one TCP/IP device session running per computer, but you can have more than one computer running a TCP/IP device session. You If you have a 2nd computer running another TCP/IP session you will need to change the workstation# in the shortcut icon of that 2nd computer. (view below) You can also combine a TCP/IP device session with one or more serial device sessions on the same computer.